Premji & Murthy: Takes two 2 tango

Feb 15, 2007, 02.57pm IST

Just as Wipro and Infosys are as different organisationally as one could imagine and yet similar in their drive to be among the best in the world, Mr Murthy and Mr Premji are different and yet similar as their companies are. Now, is there a contradiction? Not really. Both of them go by the book, are sticklers for correctness, honesty of purpose and, above all, ethical to the core.

We will leave that nitty-gritty aside. Mr Premji invited Mr Murthy for breakfast before the interaction. That is how it began on the terrace of Mr Premji's office over idli, vada, uttapam, scrambled eggs and corn flakes. After quickly, and somewhat frugally, gulping down a couple of mouthfuls, the two IT titans settled down to talk about some of the issues we raised

Expectedly, the conversation began with the weather. "It is a bit colder this year," Mr Murthy said. "I love that," Mr Premji responded even as some of us tried our best not to shiver in the chilly Bangalore morning. Then, they answered questions on what it takes a company to be a global entity, what it took them to shape, reshape and constantly exploit opportunities to expand, grow and reach where they are. From how external environment shaped their ambitions to how they saw and used a commercial opportunity.

On how some of them, certainly their two companies (though they did not specifically say so out of modesty) will be among the top ten globally in the next few years, on challenges for the IT industry, on how manufacturing is looking up and so on.

On how, way back in 1979, Mr Murthy had met Mr Premji for a job in his company - Mr Premji, "He was too big for us"; Mr Murthy, "It was for him (Premji) to decide. He did not get back to me (with the job offer)". This is a story some knew for a long while, but did not get the opportunity to ask both of them together. Mr Premji wanted the conversation to move away quickly. "We were trying to put together an act then and we met over drinks," he tried to explain.

But then, it was Mr Murthy who put another spin. "I am grateful to him for that. We now have two companies (Wipro and Infosys) instead of one. I believe when God closes a door, he opens a window." He went on effusively to say how Mr Premji had always treated him with kindness, respect and how he was bowled over by his value system and openness. "We have differences just as we now differed on taxing the IT industry. He (Premji) does not smile here, and then go out and say he does not believe in that. He openly said so now and that is one of the things I admire in him."

Mr Premji was equallly effusive. "Infosys and Murthy, because he has led the charge for many years, have been pioneers in many ways. They are growing faster than us which is a challenge and an incentive for us because it helps me raise standards and humbles me all the time".

Even as we were planning the event, we plotted quite a bit on getting a picture of Murthy standing in front of a Wipro logo or some such thing and were not very sure whether he would oblige. (We actually have a picture of him drinking coffee from a mug with the Wipro logo. There was no prompting).

If we wanted some association between him and Wipro, Murthy had more to give than we asked for when he narrated an incident. "One day we had a visitor from Nortel who walked into my office and found me working on a Wipro desktop. We still did not have laptops those days. Then he found the bulbs in my rooms were made by Wipro. He cheekily asked me whether the tiles were also from Wipro. I said Wipro does not make them but the day they do, I will use them," he went on. "The point is that they make products of quallity," he added. No qualms about using each other's product. Or for that matter, co-operating with each other and even working together in some specific projects and markets. Will such co-operation deepen and go further. That is another story we will tell you some day.

Meticulous about time management as they always are, Premji quitely reminded us when the time was up. We sought another ten minutes (it actually went beyond that as well). As the interaction was closing, Mr Murthy said, "Azim, I want two minutes of your time".

Mr Premji responded, "I want five minutes of yours. I will take you around the Premji Foundation, we will talk as we go." The two got into Mr Murthy's car and drove away to the Foundation building. ET was not privy to what they discussed in that two or five minutes. Sometimes many things are kept out of our radar. It is a bit of a humbling experience. But then, as Premji said, it is good to be humbled once in a while. Otherwise, as he put it, you may walk around with a swollen head and that is not good.